Electromagnetic display apparatus.



w. A. HARVEY; ELEGTBOMAGNBTIG DISPLAY APPARATUS.

Arruonxox run an 13. 1906;

I V Patented Jan 17,1911.

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: 1 4 PatentedJan. 17,1911.

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IZZY-4 Inventor W. A. HARVEY. snno'rnomannm DISPLAY APPARATUS.APPLICATION FILED MAY 13. 1905.

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' witnesses.- (or I Patented Ja11117,1911.

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ELECTROMEGNETIC DIElPLAY AlPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lFatented J 1'2, E911 Application filed May 13, 180-5. Aerial No.269,323.

To all whom it may. concern:

Be it known that I, -F /Eni ma A. HARVEY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in Scranton, in't'he count-y of Laclrawanua and deviceto be goods,

wares or merchandise or for attracting at tention for advertisingpurposes and particularly to an apparatus embodying in its structure, aplane or other diaphragm either horizontal, inclined or vertical upon oragainst which an articleor a receptacle for goods may be placed or uponwhich it may be made to move in a manner to progress over the diaphragmin any desired path or in a manner to merely change its positionswithout progressing or to execute both said movements or a combinationthereof; these ends being attained by the construction, arrangement,setting or manipulation of suit able electromagnetic means maintained infixed or traveling relation to the opposite side of the diaphragm andhaving means for maintaining interrupting ch nging polarity or otherwisedetermining 1e magnetism thereof so as to correspondingly afi'cct thearticle on the surface of the diaphragm.

My invention will be fully understood upon reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 are a Vertical transverse section andv a plan view witha part ot the diaphragm broken away showing one embodiment of myinvention suitable for introduction into a store window or other similarplace. Figs. 3 and a are views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 showingcollectors for supplying constant and interrupted current to the magnet,and a switch with mechanical means for intermittently shifting the samewhereby the current supply to the magnet is constant or intermittent atdifferent portions of the revolution of the electromagnetic device; Fig.5 is a detail view of a means for controlling the movement of anilluminated object and at the same time ill-.- ducing therein, a currentthat will cause the illumination; Fig. 6 is a detail view of means forincreasing the area of the magnetic field of the device for inducingmotion. in the object to be controlled; Figs. 7, 8'and 9 are schematicviews of electric circuits,

commutators and controlling switches whereby the phases or magneticconditions in the electromagnetic controlling devices are determined.

The fundamental idea of to have objects move or travel on r surfacewithout having the means which causes their movement or travel apparentto the observer thereby arresting the attention' by exciting thecuriosity. In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a rectangular floor or phragm1 upon which are placed the articles whose movements it is desired tocontrol, such as, for instance, a wheeled receptacle 2, for merchandise,or an article of merchandisc 3 of a form that is adapted to roll ormove,such, forinstance, a spool of cotton, a cigar or other object.Beneath the floor provided by the diaphragm 1 is a rotary supportmounted upon a vertical axle 5 and receiving motion through a pulley 6and belt 7 from electric motor 8. The rotating support l is providedwith electromagnets 9, which, to bring them into closer cont-rollingrelation with the article on the surface, are made to work in the roovesor channels 10. To subject the receptacle or other object to theinfluence of the magnets, it is provided with an armature l1, and inorder that the course or direction of the Object may be determined bykeeping the axis of its wheels or the axis upon which it rolls normal tothe line of travel, both oles of the magnets are presented in attractiverelation to said armature and in a position to causc'thc armature andthrough it the articlc which it controls, by remaining in .parallelismwith the poles, to assume the posi' tion which insures the properdirection in the travel of the object. In the form shown in Fig. l, themagnets and the armaturcs are all in a position radial tothe shaft 5 onwhich the rotary support is mounted. The magnets 9 are energized byacurrcnt received through brushes 12 and rings 13.

With relations established as above demy invention is diascribed betweenthe electromagnetic device move a certain distance and pennittediorest,and thereafter moved again. In orderfir senses to accomplish this lastnamed result, the collecting rings and brushes may be increased innumber as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein an additional ring 13 isprovided and is'intended to be constructed, as illustrated in Fig. 8,broken so as to interrupt the current.-

A switch 14 having two arms with three contact points will supply aconstant current to the magnets when on two of the contacts and anintermittent current when moved onto the other two contacts. A cam 15,Figs. 3 and/l, operating through a rod 16 maybe arranged to shift theswitch intermittently so as to render still more complex the mo- 1tionsof the object on the s :face and thus further excite the curiosityof the observer. As shown in Fig. 7, a switch 14 may be utilized forsimply reversing the current through the magnets 9 which will produce.

20 still another result where the object on-the surface carries apermanent magnet with its own polarity so that when the polarity of themagnets 9 is changed, the permanent 1 magnet on the surface will becaused to r o- J tate to bring poles of opposite sign into posiv tionover the poles of themagnet 9. By repeating this reversing motion, theturning ,motion of the object onthesurface may be ,continued at will andthe object thus caused it ,to rotate onits vertical axis as well astravel, 'thus giving opportunity to further vary the nature of theobject on the surface and per- Init its being made in the form of afigure imitating a livin creature or creatures 'hich can be madh towaltz as well as to progress; By utilizing the system offrings andswitches shown in Fig. 9, the reversing as Well, as the intermittenteffect may be combined so that the current is intermittent 40 inWhichever directionit flows.

15 represents a stopping and starting switch having a suitable rhe'ostatfor con.- trolling the operation of the device.

While I have shown the path of travel to be circular in'Figs. 1 and 2,it is to be understood that I do not limitmy invention to any specificpath of travel for the electrically controlled. device.

According to Fig' 5, the object to be' '50 moved over the surface may.be sprovided' with an electric lamp' 1?, current for which is suppliedfrom the secondary coil 18 preferably mounted on a non-conducting as"Well as non-magnetic base 18 and havmg traction armature 11 under theinfluence of co primary coil 19 is alternating; the circuit up theobject.

While I have illustrated several applications of my invention, I desireit understood that I do not limit myself to these specific uses as itisobvious that the objects could be made to move not only over a hori-'zontal surface as shown but over an inclined surface or even a verticalsurface, such, for instance, as a vertical cylinder, the object beingmade to travel in any path assumed by the magnet 9, but this belng' inturn deter- .mined at will by suitable mechanical means.

I also desire it understood that the motion 8 imparted to the objectsmay be greatly varied by utilizing the repelling efi'ect of the magneton a permanent magnet which has like poles presented to the controllingmagnet as well as the attractive force ofthe controllin magnet exertedon unlike poles of the obyect to be controlled or upon a soft ironarmature.

Having thus described my invention, what I. claim and desire to secureby Letters Pat- 99 ent is: 4

1. Thecombination of a diaphragmhaving a surface. over which an objectmay be moved, and an electro -magn.etic means mounted on the side of thediaphragm opposite to said surface and having means for controlling itspolarity.

2. In an electromagnetic device of the character described, thecombination of the diaphragm, the electrically controlled ,dev-icethereon, the controlling electro-magnet beneath the diaphragm, means fortraversing said magnet and means for reversing the polarity of saidmagnet.

3'.'In an electro-magnetic device of the character described, thecombination of the diaphragm, an object adapted to move over the surfaceof said diaphragm, and carrying a magnetic part having a definitepolarity, and an electro-magnet located on the other side of saiddiaphragm 'and having means for causing it to travel and also for changing its polarity.

The foregoing specification signed at Scranton, I'Pennsylvania, thisninth day of 115 May, 1905.

' WILLTiAM-A. HARVEY. Inpresenee of- C. A. Barrnnnnne, H. J. BLAOKWOOD.

